Ian's Insight As it becoming something of a December tradition, I’d like to take the opportunity afforded to me by the last newsletter of the year to speak directly to everyone who has dealings with Concerva. The position of Managing Director is a challenging role, and the circumstances of 2020 have made it more [...]
Brian's Brainstorm Stock Market Divergences Since the start of this year the UK stock market has fallen by nearly 18%, while over the same period an index of US listed stocks has risen by over 11%. Does this reflect the relative capabilities of the two administrations? Granted the UK government’s response to COVID-19 [...]
Brian's Brainstorm The Risk-Averse Investor Daniel Kahneman became the first non-economist to win the Nobel prize in 2002. His work in behavioural economics, in collaboration with the late Amos Tversky, provides the basis for the investment approach deployed at Concerva. The key insight is that most people would rather avoid losses than make [...]
Ian's Insight Firstly, I hope you and your loved ones are keeping safe and well. Who could have foreseen the current situation with COVID-19 six months ago and how the world has changed in such a short time? It looks like it could be a great deal of time before we get back to [...]
Given the recent widely reported volatility that has swept through markets worldwide, I have asked Brian to prepare a summary of Concerva's investment approach in unstable and unpredictable markets which can be found below. The main point I wish to personally stress is to remain calm as volatile markets can lead to unwise investment decisions. [...]
Martin's Memo Tax Year End 2019/20 The end of any tax year sparks a flurry of activity in the financial services industry and Concerva is no different. As we close in on 5th April this activity will increase and so we would recommend that any action is taken in good time to avoid [...]
Ian's Insight As some of you are aware December will be Chris Williams last month working for Concerva. Chris founded the company around 20 years ago, laying the foundations for the successful organisation we are today. Due to the condition that affects his sight slowly worsening, Chris has gradually been taking a backseat [...]
Brian's Brainstorm The Woodford Aftermath The press reaction to the Woodford scandal has predictably generated more heat than light. The Financial Times said that Neil Woodford’s sacking will have consequences far beyond his own fate. It went on to say that the “crisis” has heightened concerns about liquidity and further tarnished investor confidence [...]
Brian's Brainstorm How Brexit affects your wealth The purpose of this article is not an attempt to predict the outcome of Brexit negotiations. This is an impossible task because the incompetence of the British establishment continues to amaze. What we can do is analyse how the markets react on various outcomes and how [...]
Brian's Brainstorm Are 'Best Buy' Lists Really the Best? The task of a Do-it-yourself is not an easy one. There are so many funds around, the choice of what to invest in can be quite daunting. So there is a demand for a filter system that reduces the number of recommended funds to [...]